Differential essentials
Q Exactly how does a differential work, and what does it do?
Why is it that a car with an open differential spins the right rear wheel upon acceleration? Does the differential send more torque to that wheel? If not, what causes that?
Also, I have heard that sometimes you can free a stuck car by applying the parking brake. Is that true? If so, how does it work?
The axle shafts can turn at different speeds, but the vector sum of their rotational velocities with respect to the ring gear has to be zero
THE CONSULTANT
A differential is a gear mechanism that transmits the torque from a single input shaft, or gear, to two output shafts, and splits the input torque evenly between the two (or in some other fixed proportion), while allowing the output shafts to turn at differing speeds.
This is necessary, or at least highly desirable, so a car
